hether it was in uniform, on the bench or even in the stands watching his legendary father John Thompson, Ball State University men's basketball head coach Ronny Thompson has always been surrounded by the game of basketball.
As a player at Georgetown University from 1989-93, Thompson helped lead the Hoyas to a 94-35 record, which included a trip to the Elite Eight in his freshman year and two Sweet Sixteen appearances.
After college, Ronny told his father of his intentions of following in his footsteps in coaching, John Jr. was not at all keen on the idea.
"He tried to stop me from doing it," Thompson said. "He told me to don't do it. He definitely did not want me to do it."
Before Thompson tested the coaching waters, he worked on Wall Street after his completion of school.
However, it didn't take long to figure out that he wanted to coach. He wanted to continue the Thompson tradition, and his father soon became one of his biggest fans and supporters of his decision.
"I think I got into to without knowing that I was getting into it, just from always being around it," Thompson said. "I used to stay up and watch my pop watch film and make recruiting calls and I didn't even realize what I was doing. But, I thought it was something I always wanted to do and when I got out of school I started to kind of pursue that."
OREGON AND LOYOLA
Thompson began coaching as an assistant to Jerry Green at the University of Oregon, one year after he concluded his playing career at Georgetown.
After a short stint at Eugene, Ore., Thompson got a job closer to home at Loyola, Md. and coached under former University of Michigan head coach Brian Ellerbe.
"I started to volunteer at a few different places and pay my dues, so to speak," Thompson said. "I took a job here, took a job there, and kind of tried to hone in and learn some things that maybe I didn't know. Then one thing led to another."
For Thompson, both of his previous assistant positions at the college level were instrumental in helping him in his transition to the National Basketball Association.
Philadelphia 76ers
In 1996, Thompson accepted a job with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, as a video coordinator. Of course, it led to a scouting job, where he was in charge of watching video of all the NBA teams and translating what he saw on film to the coaches.
Also, during three-year stay in Philadelphia, Thompson was befriended by then team president Pat Croce.
"I will always sing his praises," Thompson said. "I will never forget this, but on the 76ers organization chart, Ronny Thompson was organization chart, Ronny Thompson was down here. And Pat came to me, that day or the morning after he brought coach [Larry] Brown in to tell me, that not only will I not get fired and have a job, but you are getting promoted. I will never forget that. For Pat Croce to be thinking about me was an incredible thing, let me just tell you."
During Thompson's time with the 76ers, he would continue to get support from his father, which would lead to yet another opportunity and a chance to continue building his already impressive resume.
"I owe that all to my dad; he made me do it," Thompson said. "Once I decided to get into coaching, he was the one that said, 'Okay, now that you have worked at low [Division 1] and helped build that program, now you need to go to the NBA and learn a different style, learn the plays and learn a different form of managing.'"
Georgetown Hoyas
Six years after his playing days, Thompson returned to his alma mater, Georgetown, and joined his father's coaching staff. He hired coach Bill Howze as assistant, who he had known for several years.
"I've gotten to know him over the last 20 to 30 years really," Ball State assistant coach Bill Howze said. "Loyalty is very important in this profession and one thing for sure Coach knows that I got his back basically. You got to have somebody you can trust when you get to this level."
When his father resigned a year later, long-time assistant Craig Esherick was handed the reins. Ronny remained on the coaching staff and departed from Washington D.C. and the Big East in 2003, going to Arkansas and the Southeastern Conference.
Arkansas Razorbacks/Stan Heath
Former Kent State University head coach Stan Heath had come off of a season where he led his team within one game of the Final Four in 2002, and during that following off-season he was hired as the head coach at Arkansas University.
In 2003, Heath named Thompson to his coaching staff.
Ball State and Beyond
On April 14, Thompson was named the 17th head coach of the Ball State University men's basketball team.
Thompson hopes that by incorporating the various styles of play he has learned from his predecessors, he will be able to bring a new type of game to the Mid-American Conference.
"I think what you got to do is try and entail your style to your personnel," Thompson said. "That's what I am trying to do now. The MAC is an up-tempo league. The MAC is a league that is guard-laden, and I think you just have to make some adjustments and make it work in that way."
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